By Denice Gerstenberg, City Development Director
Dickey’s BBQ Pit, Firehouse Subs and Tropical Smoothie will soon be moving into the new Van Dyke Retail Center, located on the west side of Van Dyke just south of 15 Mile Road.
Dickey's Barbecue Pit was started in 1941 in Dallas, Texas and now has over 530 locations in 43 states. They are known for their hickory-smoked barbecue featuring beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis style ribs, polish sausage, spicy cheddar sausage, smoked turkey, and marinated chicken. They also offer complimentary ice cream and are known for their iconic Big Yellow Cups. And kids eat free on Sunday!
Firehouse Subs was started by a firefighter and there are now over 900 locations nationwide. Firehouse Subs supports the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, a non-profit that has donated millions of dollars to thousands of public safety organizations for life-saving equipment, fire prevention education, scholarships, support for members of the military and disaster relief.
Started on a Florida beach in 1997, the mission of Tropical Smoothie is to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food, like toasted sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads and fresh salads, and smoothies with a bit of tropical fun.
Tropical Smoothie is a charity partner with Camp Sunshine, an organization committed to addressing the effects of a life-threatening illness on not only the child who is ill, but the entire family. Every 3rd Friday in June, they celebrate National Flip Flop Day (which this year is Friday, June 17th). All customers wearing flip flops will receive a FREE smoothie from 2 pm – 7 pm. Their 2016 fundraising goal is $1 Million Dollars.
The site of the new Van Dyke Retail Center, which was previously home to Wiegand’s concrete crushing facility will include two new buildings with five tenant spaces.